


There Is No Hallmark Card for This

by Jersey SEAL (PseudoAuthor)



Category: Hawaii Five-0 (2010)
Genre: Angst, Arguing, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Hurt/Comfort, M/M, Misunderstandings, POV Alternating, POV Multiple, Post-Episode: s06e25 O Ke Ali'i Wale No Ka'u Makemake (My Desire is Only for the Chief), Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder - PTSD, Recovery
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-04-21
Updated: 2019-04-21
Packaged: 2020-01-23 08:16:02
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 8,150
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18545854
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/PseudoAuthor/pseuds/Jersey%20SEAL
Summary: “Let me get this right. I got shot and it took out my liver, so you gave me yours.”“Half. I gave you half,” Danny corrects.A story in which Steve's liver is not the only thing ruined.





	There Is No Hallmark Card for This

**Author's Note:**

> Was meant to be completed before S7 started - look how well that worked out?! Unbeta'd and medical jargon and Navy stuff is probably wrong but I figure I'm allowed to make stuff up - author's prerogative and all. If the inaccuracies really bug you then I apologise and if you can tell me what I've done wrong - I'm happy to change it (provided it doesn't mess up too much with the story). I imagine this is going to be in three parts. Still writing the middle but I've finished the ending - go figure.

_I’m gonna die._

It’s a simple thought and yet the finality behind it is shrouded in complexity. Not so much for Steve himself but for the people who he will inevitably be leaving behind. Once he’s gone there’s nothing to worry about. More to the point, there’s nothing he _can_ worry about.

For a few moments though, before he goes, he worries. Even as his insides are on fire and he feels ice crawling along his limbs like a thousand tiny ants slowly passing a dark cloth over his body.

Danny is going to freak out and momentarily forget that he’s got a plane to fly.

And Steve is going to die.

It’s not great by any means; feeling warm blood slip through his fingers. Nothing prepares him for the fact that it feels _nice_ ; that the slide of heat over his skin is comforting.

It’s okay though because at least he’s not alone. For so long he was afraid that he’d die alone, but he isn’t. He can hear Danny’s voice.

The last thing he’ll hear is Danny’s voice.

_“Steve!”_

* * *

Danny Williams is afraid.

He’s made a mistake. Somewhere in his history, be it in this life or a previous one, he’s done something horrific because otherwise he’s the unluckiest schmuck in the universe.

Grace died in dingy warehouse. Meka was cooked. And Steve…

The ambulance makes a right turn, lurching him into the side. The movement jostles Steve’s head, his face tipping further towards Danny. Danny wants to reach out but he keeps his stance firm, an arm braced against shelving in an effort to keep out of the way.

He should’ve walked away after Grace.

Hindsight is 20/20, that’s what they say. In this moment hindsight is telling him that he should have left, maybe been a stay-at-home dad for his own little Grace. A Grace untainted by his profession. He’d still be married to Rachel. They’d still be living in Jersey. But then his mind plays out other scenarios:

Charlie might not have been born.

He wouldn’t know Chin, Kono, or Steve…

Those are all unthinkable. He needs Charlie to breathe. He needs Chin to be level-headed in the face of his anger. He needs Kono to keep him grounded. And he needs Steve to-

Steve lets him-

Danny looks at Steve’s pale face and stows his excuses because honestly, _he just needs Steve._

He can’t imagine having lived the last six years without him. The rise to his blood pressure aside, Danny doesn’t want to consider a _Steve-less_ existence. An ugly feeling rears in his heart. A selfish, possessive feeling that revolves around the man in on the stretcher who doesn’t know just how badly bent out of shape Danny really is about him. And he may never know.

So Danny comes to the conclusion that he’s cursed–

“We’re almost there Commander,” the paramedic says, offering Danny a grim look as he moves towards the end of the ambulance.

-or he’s being punished for something.

* * *

_“You should be happier,” Steve tells Danny one day. It’s not an important day. It’s not life altering or life threatening. It’s just one day amongst the many where Danny and his children make themselves a fixture in the McGarrett house._

_Danny shuts off the tap before wiping his hands on a dishtowel and following Steve to where they can see the kids. “What should I be happy about, pray tell?” Danny asks._

_Steve waves his hand, a movement that’s sweeping and is meant to encompass ‘all of that’ that sits behind the windows. Grace and Charlie are playing in the sand that runs across Steve’s backyard, Charlie’s shrieks of laughter punctuating the gentle crash of the waves reaching shore. “C’mon Danno. The sun is shining. Your kids are awesome. We get to hang out together.”_

_“You’re right; two of those things make me very happy. Guess which two.” The words are said in jest with a smile on Danny’s face that’s half bathed in shadow as he shields his eyes from the sun._

_Steve doesn’t miss a beat. “I always knew you hated the sun,” he says with a grin before letting out a whoop as he runs towards Danny’s children._

* * *

 Everything moves quickly.

Danny barely gives the rest of Five-0 a backwards glance as he blindly follows the doctor through the hospital corridors. If Danny had any inclination to change his mind even if he tried to turn back, he wouldn’t be able to find the team.

Eventually the doctor stops. “Mr Williams, if you’d come in.” The door to the doctor’s office swings open but Danny’s feet are stuck, his body blocking the doorway. “Are you sure that you want to do this?” the doctor asks gently – Danny looks up – the doctor thinks he’s in shock.

“Absolutely,” he says and moving quickly to sit himself in one of the chairs.  He ignores the sting as the leather touches the scrapes on his arms.

“Didn’t you come in with Commander McGarrett?” The doctor begins to frown, his eyes flicking over Danny’s form as he pushes his way into Danny’s space, his hands already prodding Danny’s side. “You should have been seen to.”

Danny allows the prodding, turning his head to look up and explain himself. “Ah, I had a couple of loose ends to tie up.” Not that he had a chance to tie them up. He had been close though – he was ready, the man on his back against the concrete. One shot to his heart or one shot to the centre of his forehead where red would spray and dampen the ground like a bloody halo.

“We’ll get your blood tests done first.”

* * *

“What’s wrong?” Kono asks, her voice slightly higher – the events of the day only just catching up to her.

Chin quickly taps out a message before answering his cousin. “One of us needs to pick up Grace.”

“Crap,” Lou curses quietly. “Danny was supposed to have the little guy over the weekend too.”

The trio move out of the way as another cart goes by. The paramedic, balancing precariously over its edge as he continues the series of compressions, muttering under his breath, his shoulders quaking as he tries to maintain his position.

“I’ll go,” Kono says eventually.

* * *

 Danny looks down at the paper towel in his hand, watches the cold water swirl down through the sinkhole, waits for it to heat up a little.

_Steve’s dying,_ keeps running through his mind and he hates it.

He runs the paper towel under the water and brings it to his face, quickly wiping away the blood and grime from his skin. It’s perfunctory at best, and the easiest way to assure himself that he’s fine because blood is bad.

Blood is always bad.

_Steve’s blood…_

His body convulses, and he leans over the sink, in preparation for...nothing. His gut clenches. He takes in a deep breath, that ever present smell of hospital-grade antiseptic seeping into his lungs and straightens up. The water runs clear against the ceramic, only turning rusty red as he passes the paper towel underneath it again.

He looks away.

“Sir?” The door opens. A nurse comes in, with a pair of scrubs, a hospital gown and a clipboard. “I’m here to look over your injuries,” she tells him with a kind smile.

“Oh, okay.” He turns the taps off and shuffles to the hospital bed, gingerly setting himself down upon it. He doesn’t say anything else, just waits silently as she dabs the cuts on his face with gauze, gluing or bandaging them closed. She gently pushes at his ribs and he tries not to gasp at the pain, except it’s clear that he fails because her brown eyes frown at him and she makes a note.

“Has the doctor explained everything about this too you?” He nods and she looks at him as if he’s lying. “You haven’t had time to consider it properly. Most live donors have some degree of warning.” She bites her lip and Danny just looks off to the side because _Steve’s dying._

He shakes his head, trying to dispel the thought because Steve’s alive. As long as they’re still prepping Danny, Steve’s alive. He lets out a shuddery breath. “There’s nothing to consider. I just need them to do the surgery all ready.”

“I’m sure they’re moving as fast as they can, sir.”

“Danny.” Sir sounds so old. He’s not old. He has years and years in him. He has as many years as his kids do.

“Kim,” she returns and places her hand on the clothes, drawing his attention to it. “I’ll let you get ready and see if I can give you an expected wait time.”

As the door shuts behind her, Danny starts getting changed.

It’s a slow process. He’d move faster if his ribs didn’t try to suffocate his breathing at every move. The shirt is the first to go, his fingers undoing the first four buttons before he just rips it apart, unwilling to waste time on saving something that he won’t keep. He lets the material drop to the floor, kicks it away so it’s hidden partially under the bed. Pants, shoes, socks, every movement feels like a herculean task.

When he finally gets redressed, he prods at where the doctor indicated his liver was and frowns. “You better grow back,” he mutters to it before letting out a huff of laughter. Great, he’s talking to himself. He needs a distraction but as he looks around he finds that there’s nothing in the room to distract him.

_I’m going to die..._ Steve had wheezed.

He perches himself on the bed again and he hears a light tap on the door before it swings open. “Hey Danny,” Chin greets as he steps in and closes the door behind him. “How’re you holding up?”

To be honest, Danny doesn’t know how to answer that. How _is_ he supposed to answer that? Steve is dying and Danny’s about to give another part of himself away.

At Chin’s enquiring gaze he shrugs and ducks his head. “How am I doing? I’m fine. Absolutely fine. Totally a-okay, aside from the fact I’m going into surgery for the second time in under a year. And Steve…” he trails off and presses a hand to his eyes. “It’s just...” He tries not to think back to the plane but it flashes before his eyes. “He got pale real fast. I didn’t think it’d happen that quickly.”

He removes his hand and glances at Chin who just looks at him with worried, but gentle eyes. “He’s going to be alright because of you.”

“Yeah,” he tries to sound confident but he’s not and Chin bless his heart sits next to him bumps his shoulder with his own. “Yeah,” he says again.

They stay silent for a while before he feels Chin look over at him. “Hey Danny...how did you know you were a match?”

“I know our blood groups are the same…” He scratches the back of his neck. “When Steve went to Afghanistan...the docs were worried about a few things, you know, internal bleeding, infections...it was a precaution - in case they needed a blood transfusion I guess. And well, when we found out about Charlie, I told him...and he managed to get tested before I did-” he breaks off, see’s Chin grin, and laughs wryly because he knows that they’re thinking the same thing.

_Steve is nothing if not efficient._

“He was an okay match, but then I got tested and matched closer – so based on that I guess – I figure, I mean they’re still running all the tests just to be sure…” he trails off.

Chin studies him and nods. “Danny, he really is going to be fine.” He stands up and squeezes Danny’s shoulder. “I should let you get settled. I’m gonna let the others know that you’re ‘fine’.” He takes a step back and looks down with a curious expression. “I don’t think your clothes are going to be evidence, but--” he starts, looking around finding a plastic bag in one of the cupboards.

“Chin, I really don’t give a shit what happens to them...I-throw them out. No, wait, burn them,” he states, his eyes pinned to the clothes in the bag, and the shoes held in Chin’s hand. He can only stand to look at them in the context of evidence, anything more...

He ignores the sad look that Chin sends him. “Okay Danny.”

Danny happily moves on from the topic. “Grace-”

“Kono’s getting Grace.”

_Right, dammit_ , he should probably call Rachel. He looks around for his phone. “I need to tell Rachel that I can’t look after Charlie...” To be honest, he doesn’t want to call Rachel - it’s not like he owes her anything and they are both aware of that fact. His son though - and that still flips his head - is going to wonder though because he knows that Friday to Monday, work permitting, are ‘Danno Days’.

Danny made damn sure about that.

“I'll leave you to it. Be safe Danny.” The door closes behind him, and once again, Danny finds himself alone in the room.

When he finally gets a hand on his phone, he calls his ex-wife, already curious as to her reaction.

_“Rachel Edwards,”_ she answers, crisp and so very proper that Danny’s sisters used to call them _“Beauty and the Beast”_ when they first got together. Danny knows that Rachel’s currently too distracted by something to have looked at who was calling her.

He begins to play with a loose thread on the bedsheet. “Rachel, it’s Danny.”

_“Danny? You said that you were working until Friday? What’s wrong?”_

“I’m fine, okay, but Steve’s in trouble. The undercover operation went bad. Steve got shot a bunch of times and, his liver’s a write-off. There’s no time to put him on the donor list. He won’t survive the wait.”

He hears the exact moment it all clicks for her - she mumbles under her breath, calls out for Charlie, probably tucking him close. “ _You're doing it.”_

Danny presses the corner of the phone to his forehead, it all starting to hit him. “Yeah. I’m just waiting to be taken in.”

_“Hi Danno!”_ Charlie yells into the phone, there’s a little giggle, and Danny can’t help but smile. _His little boy_.

_“Charlie, let mummy talk to Danno okay? Go and get your backpack.”_ He hears footsteps thudding away. “ _I don’t have anyone to look after him at the moment.”_ There’s a beat of silence. “ _I…I’ll have to bring him with me.”_

“Rachel, I don’t know how long it’ll take. If you bring Charlie here, he’s gonna start licking the seats - trust me on this. Listen call Chin for updates. When I wake up I’ll have them give you a call.”

Rachel might not listen to him and come anyway because she’s contrary like that but he lets it go. “Fine, Grace is coming in with one of Five-0?”

“Kono’s got her. I’ll talk to you when I can. Bye Rach.”

“Bye Danny [J1] .” He hangs up just as the door opens.

“Danny?” Kim and another nurse enters his room. “This is Leonie. We’re going to take you for your CT and MRI scan now.” He gets into the wheelchair and is wheeled down the corridor to the room and where they put an IV into his arm. “This may feel a bit warm.”

He nods not really understanding until suddenly heat rolls through his body, his arm briefly on fire as the dye floods his system. “That’s…a bit more than warm,” he hisses uncomfortably.

“Sorry,” Kim says apologetic, she pats the trolley, helping him get up whilst the technician moves his limbs making sure that he’s positioned correctly.

“Mr Williams can you raise your hands for me?”

“He’s broken one rib and has varying fractures on Ribs 4-7 on his right side.”

He must seem surprised because Kim shrugs. “Took a glance of the x-rays we did after your blood tests.”

The technician frowns letting it go. “Okay we’ll scan you now then.”

The room empties leaving him alone with his thoughts, or thought: _If they keep prepping me, Steve’s alive._

He holds onto it the thought like a drowning man. It will keep him safe but more importantly it will keep him sane because the thought of Steve dying on him... He always said that Steve would die in a hail of bullets and he believed that on some level, he really did but he had always been safe in the knowledge that Steve wouldn’t take his end lying down. He’d give as good as got.

The Steve from the plane was resigned though.

Before he knows it the sounds stop and Danny finds himself staring into Kim’s face. “All done Danny. You still holding up okay?”

He nods as she helps him sit up moving his arm to bend over his stomach so it’ll help the pain emanating from his ribcage. Multiple fractures and a broken bone, _great,_ he thinks. “Steve?”

“I spoke to one of his nurses. He’s hanging in there.”

He looks for the lie.

_If they keep prepping me, Steve’s alive._

He repeats the words like mantra as they make their way to the MRI machine.

“Have you had an MRI before?” Kim asks as she pushes down on the breaks of the wheelchair.

“Yeah,” he doesn’t elaborate further and turns his head to the side eyeing the machine warily. “I have claustrophobia,” he says. He hears one of the technicians say ‘oh’. “I’m just letting you know – I mean, I’ll try not to move around but-“

Kim pats his shoulder. “It’s okay. Your head should be out of the machine.”

“Well…good, that’s good,” Danny says lamely. He gets onto the trolley as instructed trying to get comfortable as he stares up at the ceiling.

“This should take about 45 minutes.”

He almost bolts upright. Forty-five minutes, that’s too long. The doctors said that Steve had hours.

“But-“ he starts.

“It is what it is,” the technician tells him with a touch to his arm. “We need to be thorough – but we’re going as fast as we can. Now Danny – we need you to be as still – because your liver is…hidden, amongst your other organs your breathing will shift them around making it difficult for us to get a clear picture. We need you to do an exercise – you need to breathe deeply and hold it.”

“I can do that.”

“It has to be the same breath as before.”

“Uh…”

“We’ll instruct you from within the MRI for when you can breathe normally.”

Kim pushes a different bag of dye through his IV. “This should be cold.”

He watches the dye run through his IV feeling the cooling sensation pass over his body – it’s disconcerting.  

“If there’s anything wrong or you need to get our attention press the buzzer. It’s going to be loud in there – try to stay calm.”

After 45 minutes he gets out, his energy flagging.

“How are you doing – you still sure about this.”

“Yes – stop asking, I won’t change my mind.”

* * *

  _“You didn’t have to come get me.”_

_Steve’s eye is still swollen shut. His skin is mottled with bruises, and he resembles more Egyptian mummy than Navy SEAL. They’re waiting for the plane that will take them back to Hawaii, or more the plane that will do a stopover somewhere in America before Hawaii._

_“We’ve talked about this. I did.”_

_“Danny…”_

_“You need to rest, Steven.”_

_“I’m fine Daniel.” Steve huffs. And Danny doesn’t bother correcting him, he’s spoken to the doctor, he knows the list of Steve’s injuries are as long as his forearm. “You came to Afghanistan,” Steve blinks almost in surprise. “Does your family know?”_

_Danny ducks his head down. “If Rachel asks, I had gastro."_

* * *

“Hey, it’s my cousin!” Eric grins at the new lab tech, Chelsea and shows her the contact picture he has of Grace. It’s of when she was seven and had fallen asleep on top of Danny’s old coffee table back in Jersey. It’s a cute picture. And Chelsea agrees if the accompanying ‘aww’ is anything to go by. “Hey G - how’s my favourite cousin?”

There’s a pause before Grace rushes out the words. The smile slides from his face and he looks between the door and Chelsea who’s staring at him confused.

“I need to go…”

Chelsea nods, sensing that something is wrong, and he doesn’t look back as rushes out of the door, Grace’s words still filling his ear. “Wait, what?!” Eric quickly enters one of the empty lab rooms and puts the phone on speaker as he looks around the room for the landline. “Grace, where are you?”

“I’m at the hospital. Aunt Kono got me.” He hears the stutter of her voice. “Dad and Uncle Steve are hurt.”

“But you’re okay right?”

“Eric I’ve been at school. Someone shot Uncle Steve and _Danno crashed a plane!”_ He braces himself against the table.

“What do you mean he crashed a plane?!”

At the end of Grace’s explanation all manages to say is, “Ah.” He swallows thickly and clears his throat. “Okay Grace.” He pinches the bridge of his nose. “I need you to-you stay with Five-0 okay and you listen to them.”

“Okay Eric,” she says dutifully.

“I’m going to call mom and then I gotta go to the crime scene.”

“Eric can you come here?”

He can’t. He’d be nervous energy; pacing and anger and he won’t be that, not helpless and liable to snap, not for Grace. “I can’t – I’m supposed to go out and process the scenes.”

“But he’s family and what if-“ her voice hitches.

He stands up straighter. “Hey, whoa! Gracie you gotta listen to me – nothings gonna happen to them. Your saw him before he went into surgery and he was fine right?”

“Yeah.”

‘Well he’s going to stay fine – and Steve – we’ll he’s gonna have your dad’s liver and you know how stubborn your dad is right? You think his liver’s gonna let Steve go?’

“No,” she hiccups.

“Exactly – they’re going to be alright. I’m going to go and process the scenes, make sure no one misses anything. I’ll talk with you soon okay.” He’s talking outta his ass. Knows jackshit about his this is supposed to work, about whether the odds are in his uncle’s favour. “Grace?”

“Can you stay – just for a couple of minutes?”

He hears the sounds of the hospital continuing on in the background and hears Grace sniffling. “I can do that.”

* * *

_“...but then you keep visiting here and just what’s a lady supposed to think Commander?”_

* * *

  _“Steve, can you hear me…it’s Kono…”_

* * *

_“…that’s insane – Five-0 is filled with lunatics.”_

_“But good looking lunatics.”_

_“Kind lunatics – Daniel didn’t have to do it.”_

_“He kind of did though – I mean he’s married to the guy.”_ _“_

_"I didn’t realise they were married to each other! That would’ve been on the news. How did you find out?”_

_“My cousin knows someone who knows someone who knows someone who….basically it ends with SangMin - and SangMin knows the guys. But see? Wouldn’t it be horrible if your husband didn’t put his hand up…”_

* * *

_“…tell Danno. Uncle Steve, I think I like someone at school…”_

* * *

  _“…would they tell you if they’ve invented time travel? I mean – you have insider knowledge. You were part of the supersoldier program weren’t you?”_

_“Jerry? I think you’re confusing Steve and Captain America.”_

_“Captain America’s first name is actually Steve.”_

_“You’re kidding me…”_

* * *

  _“Someone’s waking up! Keiki? Can you hear me? It’s okay. You’re going to be okay, I’ll get the doctor…”_

* * *

“Hey brah!”

He opens his eyes, blinking rapidly trying to clear his vision...there’s...he can’t breathe. Something scrapes against his throat and his gag reflex kicks in. Everything is hazy, but for some reason, he knows it's Kono in the room with him. Kono will help him. He tries to move, but finds that his wrists are strapped down and that’s--

“Steve, whoa! The doctors strapped you down as a precaution. Steve, stop it. Chin, he’s waking up!” Slender hands grip his own as he tries to buck. He just needs the tube out -

_Please_

Gentle fingers brush the side of face, wiping away the tears that sneak out of the corners of his eyes. “C’mon boss, you’re okay...I swear you’re okay.” At least his vision is a bit clearer...he makes out Kono’s concerned gaze.

“I’m gonna get the doc.”

Chin’s low voice is suddenly next to his ear. It’s muzzy, but he can feel something over his shoulder. “McGarrett, you need to relax man. Don’t go ripping out your wires and tubing okay?”

Tubing? He weakly lets out a groan as something ripples unpleasantly through him. There was something important...he was doing something important...wasn’t he?

He’s missing something.

“Steve?” The doctor shines a penlight in his eyes and he can’t stop the flinch. “Can you hear me? Squeeze.” He squeezes, the doctor’s hands, it’s slow...like he can’t get his muscles to cooperate with him. “Good. I’m going to take the tube out of your throat. Try to relax okay.”

The breathing tube is quickly replaced with a mask.

He tries to say ‘what’ but nothing comes out. The doctor appears in his line of sight again. “You won’t be able to talk for a while.“ Kono moves to his side, her hand slipping into his. “I’m cautiously optimistic about your recovery. We’ve got you on the good stuff so the pain shouldn’t be too bad. If that changes you need to let someone know. “

“Steve?” Kono’s face enters his field of vision. He can feel his eyes slip shut, he wants to fight it, but he hears Kono’s voice, low and soothing as she tells him, “...okay Steve, go to sleep. We’ll be here when you wake up again…”

* * *

“Isn’t he supposed to be awake now?”

Steve had woken up. Kono had messaged her. _Steve’s coming round. Danny still out. Will keep u updated._

Rachel readjusts Charlie on her hip and paces as the nurse sighs with that tired tone that indicates that she’s been asked to pull one shift too many. “Ma’am--”

“Rachel?” She looks up and sees Lou walking towards her. “What are you doing here?” he asks and reaches out to ruffle Charlie’s hair. “Hi buddy.”

“Kono messaged me about Danny. She mentioned that Steve opened his eyes.” She’s glad to hear that Steve’s pulled through despite it being early, but it doesn’t stop the worry that creases her brow at the fact that there’s been no word about Danny.

“Uncle Steve!” Charlie crows and looks up at Rachel. “Yes sweetheart, Uncle Steve is here too. Remember, Danno’s helping him like he helped you.”

Lou smiles. “Only for a second, then he went back under. What are you after?”

“The doctor, or for someone-” she raises her voice and looks behind Lou at the nurse who refused to give her the information. “To tell me why Danny hasn’t woken up yet. They are listed as each other’s emergency contact but since they are both currently indisposed, you’d think that as Danny’s ex-wife...” she lets the words die off with her glare.

She knows how she sounds – she knows that she has no claim to Danny in this situation or in any situation after the absurdities that she’s pulled but she is desperate. Danny is the father of her children and a fantastic person and despite all her behaviour to the contrary she does care about him.

“C’mon, I can bring you through. She’s with Five-0.” Lou flashes his badge at the nurse who waves her hand dismissively at Rachel. Charlie waves back at her chirping out a ‘bye-bye’ as the make their way into the hallway

After an elevator trip and a few more hallways they stop outside Danny’s room. The doctor comes out and Lou waves him over. “Doc, this is Rachel, Danny’s ex-wife.”

“Hello Rachel, Danny’s going to be fine. Sometimes being under anaesthetic causes a person's blood pressure to lower, this happened with Danny, but we’ve given him medication to regulate it. I’m confident that he’ll wake on his own. Excuse me.”

The doctor walks away and Lou ruffles Charlie’s hair again. “Your daddy’s gonna be fine.”

“Danno!” Charlie beams. “Mommy. I wanna see him.”

“Soon, I promise sweetie, soon.”

* * *

He opens his eyes, immediately choking, his hands try to go to his throat, to try and take out the thing constricting his airways but finds that he can’t. “Danny!” It takes him a while to realise that his wrists trapped, held in strong hands. “Daniel! It’s Rachel, I need you to calm down.”

“Step aside ma’am. Danny, it’s Kim, relax, I’m going to take out the tube, I want you to cough now.”

Danny coughs and winces as the plastic scrapes against the inside of his throat. As he hacks again, catches a glimpse of Rachel hovering nervously in his line of sight. Finally the tube is completely out and he finds himself gently lowered onto the pillows behind his head. “Daniel? Oh thank god.” Rachel pushes her way to his side, still mindful of the nurses fluttering around him. “Don’t talk - big ask for you, I know, but indulge me.”

He stays quiet.

“You had some issue with the anaesthetic,” Kim tells him. She moves around his bed checking levels of fluid, before pulling back the blanket and lifting his hospital gown up to check the wound mindful not to put him on display in front of Rachel. “This is looking alright,” she hums, pressing carefully around his incision.

“Eric took Grace to school.” Rachel begins as if trying to fill in the silence. “You’ve been out for two days. You scared the shit out of us all, pardon my language.”

He weakly glares at her until the words register. “St’v?” The name comes out in a dry croak, his eyes immediately growing wide with concern as he looks towards the door, as if by some miracle the Steve will stride on in as if nothing ever happened.

Rachel stares at her ex and is only pulled out of her thoughts when she finally looks at Danny whose mouth turns down as he whispers _no_ to himself a dozen times over.

“Oh god, no! Danny he’s alive!” she says loudly. “He’s doing fine. He opened his eyes a few times but he hasn’t spoken yet.” He must look alarmed because she puts her hand on his shoulder and presses firmly as if she can tell that he wants to get out of bed and check on Steve himself. “It’s normal. Chin Ho said that he’d be groggy for a good few days. As are you…” she trails off when Danny’s eyes slide shut.

* * *

_“She’s staying.”_

_They drink beer and the governor takes his leave, a final look shot in Steve’s direction that appears too knowing to not be a comment on Steve’s personal life._

_Eventually, with the sun dropping towards the horizon, Danny stretches, his arms up above his head, an empty beer bottle still in his hand. “I should head off.”_

_“Shouldn’t you have Grace?”_

_Danny looks away. “She’s with Rachel.” There’s hint of reluctance in his words, one that Steve imagine’s won't disappear any time soon. “I’m not going to lose her...I’m gonna...I can afford to be magnanimous. I have her tomorrow - the whole day,” he says with a grin._

_Steve holds his beer bottle out towards Danny, undoubtedly one of the best dad’s that he knows._  

_“You’re a better man than me.”_

_Danny huffs and clinks it with his empty one. “Obviously.”_

* * *

“Hey, wake up Kono.”

Chin gently shakes her knee. Her head moves across his shoulder dipping down before it jerks up, her eyes blinking unfocussed and her gaze flicking over the white hospital halls. “I’m up, what happened?”

He lets out a sigh. “You need to go home.”

“I’m good.” She drags a hand over her face and leans her elbows on her knees as she stares at a poster reminding them that cellphones aren’t permitted on hospital premises.

_It’s more of a friendly suggestion,_ Steve had told her once.

From behind her he hears her cousin say, “Danny woke up.”

“Oh thank god,” she whispers to herself before whipping around and thumping Chin’s knee.  “You lead with that!”

“Sorry,” he mutters scrubbing at his face. She notes the dark smudges under his eyes and thinks that Chin should talk his own advice and go home.

* * *

The next time he opens his eyes, he sees a blonde curly haired head, pillowed on folded arms on the edge of his hospital bed. “Mom?” he pulls his arm out from under the cover and brings it across to pat her hair.

She lifts her head up and smiles.

“What are you doing here? Did dad come?”

Clara takes his hand and kisses his palm. “My baby boy just went through a major surgery - where did you think I'd be? And, no, with such short notice, we figured it’d be faster if it was just myself.” she tells him.

He swallows and looks around the room finding it otherwise unoccupied. “Who called you?”

“Rachel, and then Stella.” He doesn't miss the slight twist of displeasure on her face when she says Rachel’s name.

“You didn't have to come out here for it. I told her--”

“Don’t even try it, Daniel. You should have called us yourself.” She’s not angry, he knows that for sure, but she isn’t thrilled with him either. He feels like he did when he was fifteen and under her microscope after ‘accidentally’ drinking vodka at a party because he thought it was water.

“So how long are you staying for?” He coughs and scratches around his nose, mindful of the NG tube.

“As long as you need me to stay,” she responds.

“Really?” he says disbelievingly. “You’ll leave when I tell you?”

She gives him a look. “If we did this your way, I’d already be on the plane, so no. How are you feeling?”

“A little sore. Kinda fuzzy. I’m more painkillers than blood I think, not that I’m complaining.”

“Do you want me to get a nurse?”

“Nah, I’m fine. Did you come straight here?”

“Rachel picked me up at the airport and we dropped my bag at your place.”

“Were you nice?”

“I’m always a delight.”

He snorts. “Yes mom.”

After a moment she stands up, leaning over him to kiss his forehead, her hand palming away the hair at his forehead. “You scared another thirty years off my life. I want you to remember that when you go Christmas shopping.” She shushes him when he tries to protest. “But, honey, you did a real good thing. I’m proud of you.”

“Thanks mom.”

“Good, now get up. We’ve got to get you walking.” She starts folding down the hospital blanket.

“We, what now?” There is no way that he can stand up let alone walk. He watches his mother lean out the door and grab the attention of another nurse who comes into the room smiling.

“Hey Mr Williams.” The nurse claps his hands. “About time we got you up and about don’t you reckon.” He finds himself carefully maneuvered into a sitting position with his legs dangling off the edge of the bed. “I’m not talking you outside, we’ll just lap the room. I’m Liam by the way.”

_That’s a relief,_ he thinks, considering the fact that he already feels winded and his feet haven’t even touched the ground yet. Liam presses a button to lower the bed until the soles of Danny’s stockinged feet meet the ground. He then moves in front of Danny and with Danny’s permission, helps him to stand up.

“You’re doing good sweetie,” Clara says.

“I’m just standing up mom, it’s been like thirty-eight years since it was a big deal.” He closes his eyes briefly feeling nauseous. “Hey…” He pauses feeling a strange painful sensation radiating from his stomach. “I’m...my guts aren’t going to spill onto the floor right?”

“Nah, from what Akira told me, you’re holding it together,” Liam winks at Clara who fails to hide a smile. “Take it easy, we’re in no hurry.” Liam swivels him around into a chair letting Danny try to get used to sitting up himself without the support of the bed against his back. He pushes forward a c-squared structure, heavily padded in blue canvas like material, with various poles and metal hooks.

It looks like a torture device.

“When you’re ready, you’re gonna stand up and hold yourself against this.”

“Okay.” Danny eyes the contraption wearily but nods his assent to Liam. Liam guides him up by a firm grip on his elbow and allows Danny to get his bearings before carefully pushing the walker towards Danny.

“You got a good hold on that – I’m gonna hook your IV’s to it.”

It’s odd but it feels good to be walking – it’s a reclamation of freedom in some ways. “We’re just going up and down the hallway.”

“Where’s Steve?”

The nurses station comes into view. “Lemme find out,” Liam says. “Hey, Ronnie? Steve McGarrett, the liver transplant recipient – what room is he in?

The nurse taps at the keyboard. “270, turn right and then left at the elevators.”

“Thanks.”

“Danny, it might be a bit much for you.” Clara says, concern is clear in her voice.

He waves her away and looks down the corridor and then to Ronnie. She nods. “It’s fine, I want to see him.”

Liam hesitates. “Mr Williams, he’s not going anywhere.”

“That’s what you think. Steve’s a hospital menace. I wouldn’t be surprised if he’s gone.”

“He’s just had major surgery and is drugged to the gills. I really doubt it.” And doubt it Liam does, but Danny needs to see for himself; to confirm it with his own eyes.

“I’m going to keep going.”

“Sweetheart,” Clara chides.

“See you two later.” He pushes on, turning right as instructed. Liam and Clara hover near him. His legs are burning, the pain of his incision making his vision swim but finally makes it to Steve’s room. He doesn’t go in, content to watch Steve through the window. Steve’s asleep, his skin is still a little pale but there’s a healthy flush of pink underneath that. It’s such a contrast to the Steve from the plane that Danny feels the pricking of tears behind his eyes. “Hey babe.”

“You want to go in?” Liam’s voice comes from behind him.

“Nah. I just wanted to make sure he hadn’t belly-crawled his way out. I’m ready to go back to my room.”

* * *

_“…wake up already. This would’ve been fine as a kid – I would’ve painted your nails…you know, I think I’ve got a bottle in my bag…”_

There’s a touch on his arm and then his hand.

He opens his eyes, his fingers twitching, and sees Mary’s face hovering over him. Her eyes are red and puffy; her mascara running, her hair a mess, a brittle smile painted on her face.

“Steve!” she shouts, and he finds his face buried in her neck as she hugs him gently. “Were you asleep?” She pulls back and surveys him dubiously. “Cause I was saying a lot of stuff and if you were faking I’ll never forgive you.”

He smacks his lips and looks at her tear streaked face. “Navy.” At her confused look, he rolls his eyes. “If you ever paint my nails when ‘m unconscious, I want navy.”

* * *

Steve can sense someone hovering near the door. Cracking an eye open he catches the sight of the slightly lanky body half hidden behind the wall.

“Was wondering where you got to.” Steve says and smiles, not exactly groggy from the drugs they keep pumping into him, but tired nonetheless. Nahele looks scared, young eyes slightly red, flicking between him and the corridor as if he wants to escape. “Come here.” Steve manages to raise two of his fingers and motions the teen towards him.

Nahele slinks in, stumbling as he reaches for the railing. “I didn't mean to get you shot.”

“You didn't,” Steve says and moves his fingers to Nahele’s, trapping them where they curl around the rail. “Look at me. You didn't get me shot. I was doing my job. Hospital trips are minor setbacks.” Nahele doesn’t look convinced. “I’m going to be up and around in no time.” Steve studies him for a few moments taking in the bags under his eyes and something pings as _wrong_ , but he doesn’t know what. “You get any sleep?”

“A little. Needed to stay until we knew you were okay.”

Steve snorts imagining Danny in the waiting room.

_Danny._

Danny was in the plane with him. Danny, kept telling him to stay awake. Danny should be yelling at him for getting shot at.

He tries to sit up. “Steve?” He tries to control his expression, he doesn’t want to scare Nahele but Danny was with him, Danny can’t fly a plane. He’s been conscious for almost three days and no one’s said anything to him about Danny. Fuck he forgot about _Danny._

_Oh god._ He forces his brain to put together the pieces. “Danny...Nahele, Danny was in the plane with me.”

“Uh...I should get someone to explain…” The grip of Steve’s fingers grow tighter at his words. “Steve-“ Nahele’s panic fuels Steve’s own.

“Tell him to see me.” If Danny isn’t here in a few moments he doesn’t-

“Steve, I _can’t_.” And Nahele is wide-eyed and his voice pitched high. Steve blinks. He let’s go of Nahele’s fingers and scrubs a hand over his face trying to calm his breathing.

“I’m, sorry. Hey man, I didn’t mean to-okay, you have to tell me what’s going on.”

A nurse appears with a frown on her face and a clipboard held to her side. She almost takes a step back when she looks up, Steve’s face trained on hers. “Danny Williams, where is he?”

The nurse purses her lips. “I can’t discuss Detective William’s condition with you.”

“Condition? What happened to him? You can – I’m his emergency contact.”

At that, her eyes lose that hard edge and it sends another spike into him. “You’re a patient commander McGarrett.”

“I understand that but I am the leader of the Governor’s taskforce - Five-0? Detective Williams is also my partner.”

“Be that as it may, I’m sorry.”

“Sorry? What the fuck does that mean?” Sorry that she’s being a pain, sorry for his loss, oh god. They aren’t telling him anything. He closes his eyes. If it’s sorry for his loss he might actually throw up. He pushes the feeling down, enough to beg: “Nahele, I want to talk to Chin, or Kono, get them here, please.”

* * *

Nahele stumbles out of Steve’s room, the sick feeling back in his stomach, and his head pounding with a headache that’s been his constant companion ever since Steve told him that they were going to go undercover. He makes himself go to the waiting room where he knows Chin took up residence and hovers in the doorway. He clears his throat. “Ah, Steve wants to know where Detective Williams is.” He gestures wildly back in the direction of Steve’s room. “I think...he doesn’t know, about anything that happened. He’s really…”

Chin puts down his magazine, it’s his turn at the hospital, while Kono and Lou deal with the ongoing crime scenes. “Are you okay?”

It takes everything he has in him to get the words out.

“He’s really shaken. I didn’t know what to tell him.” Because what was he supposed to say? That’s not the sort of news that meant to come from him, a teenager. And Steve’s his pseudo-dad, anything medical is strictly doctor territory. He’s already gotten him shot. That’s filled his quota for decisions that hurt pseudo-dads and then some. At best he’s got one pathetic, _I hate you_ (over something stupid like getting grounded) left in the tank, and then he’s out. No more ammunition. He’s out.

Chin claps a hand on his shoulder. “Are you okay?”

Nahele feels his eyes begin to burn, and he’s unable to hold back the hiccup. “I got him shot...and Danny, he, they…” Chin pulls him in, hugs him tightly and lets him cry.

* * *

He’s been feeling like shit. Nausea is a bitch.

The nurse comes up to his bedside and pats him on the shoulder. “Danny, are you ready to be moved?” He stretches, wincing at the feeling in his arms before groaning and curling into himself. “Are you okay?”

“Feeling sick,” he grunts.

He doesn’t see her frown, but feels a cold compress placed on his forehead. “I’ll see about getting you something for the nausea.” Two orderlies come in, his mother following them as she makes sure that his room his properly packed. She hoists his bag over her shoulder and gives him a smile.

“Time to go see Steve!”

He presses the button for the morphine, and hopes that it will dull the pain.

The trip is short. Or maybe he’s just feeling hazy because of the morphine. As he is wheeled through the door he sees Steve, his back raised by the bed a little, a hand over the railing as if he’s trying to pull himself up.

“Danny!”

“Steve,” he groans, trying to turn his body, as his insides press against each other. “Oh fuck…”

The orderlies settle him in. The nurse appears checking the equipment and then reveals a syringe, the contents of which travels into his IV. “What’s wrong? Danny, what happened to you?” Steve demands.

He turns his head. Steve’s face hard, his eyes concerned. “What’s the last thing you remember?”

“Got shot...you...were yelling.”

“That it?”

“That’s it.”

“Good.”

“No, not good. What the hell happened. Why are you in here with me?” Oh jeez. He looks at his mother and she sends Steve a concerned look. “Clara?”

She drops Danny’s bag and goes to Steve’s bedside, careful to press a kiss against his cheek. “I’m glad to see you awake, sweetheart. I should’ve come to see you but you know Danny commands my attention.”

He really doesn’t, but he won’t tell her different.

Steve isn’t distracted. “Danny?”

“You telling me no one told you?”

“Tell me what? I had a liver transplant. What happened to you?”

“I can’t believe no one told you.” This counts as negligence right? Surely a doctor should’ve filled Steve in? Or the team? He’s going to interrogate the team once he gets out of here because why the fuck doesn’t Steve know anything?

“I swear to god Danny, if you don’t tell what’s happening-”

Suddenly Lou appears, his face frowning, brows meeting in the middle. “Hey! Cool it! Seriously, I’ve had more peace in the last three days than I have in their entire time I’ve been working with you.” Kono appears too, her eyes darting between Danny and Steve.  

“I can’t believe none of you told him!” He needs to explain this fast because he can feel something working up his throat. “Steve, you wanna know what happened? You got shot. A lot. You died on me. I crashed a plane onto the beach-”

“Danny!” Clara exclaims. And now he’s gonna be in for it but he continues.

“Turns out you weren’t dead but your liver was. So you are now the proud owner of half my liver. Congratulations.” His breaths are coming out in fast angry gasps, and he’s trying to calm down, but the nausea that’s been threatening him since he woke up is about to punch him so he fumbles for one of the plastic vomit bags, puts it to his mouth and heaves. The taste of bile is bitter against his tongue. “Fucking motherfucker!” he gasps.

“Can we get a nurse in here!” Lou yells.

“Y-you...you...what the…” Steve says impotently from the bed next to him. “Danny, what the fuck did you do?”

“McGarrett! Seriously, both of you need to stop yelling or I’m gonna get the nice nurses to dose you up to the gills.”

Danny slumps against the pillows and clutches his side groaning. “What part of ‘proud owner of half my liver’ was unclear to you? Thought you army boys were meant to be smart.”

The army comment doesn’t even register with Steve as he holds up his pointer finger in that _this isn’t a democracy. It’s a benevolent dictatorship_ kind of way, trying valiantly to process Danny’s words. “Let me get this right. I got shot and it took out my liver, so you gave me yours.”

“ _Half._ I gave you half,” Danny corrects.

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks for reading!


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